Ira Gilbert Releases New Book on Leading a Church

It's not easy being a pastor with a flock, especially when that pastor feels like the weight of the world is on his shoulders and his only. A pastor shares his thoughts about leading a congregation in this new book, sharing his insights to teach others how to build up the body of Christ. When everyone rises to the challenge of helping to mold and shape the Body of Christ, hope springs anew.

When he first began as pastor, Ira Gilbert didn't know much about leading a flock and working with God's sheep, and what he discovered shocked him. In "Stop! Think; Are You Killing Your Pastor?" he describes the different types of sheep he found in his ministry, from gossiping sheep, dishonest sheep and controlling sheep to blessed sheep, loving sheep and faithful sheep. He writes that believers should rely on their faith instead of allowing their minds and feelings to control them because that is when the enemy can plant seeds that only seek to destroy Christ's legacy.

In addition to spreading the word about Christ's love for humanity, Gilbert urges the faithful to support their pastors, building them up instead of gossiping and tearing them down. "Pastor is not your personal servant because he answers to the chief servant just as you do," he writes. Instead of burdening pastors with unrealistic expectations, believers should love and support them and direct their hearts to pleasing God instead of pleasing men. With guidance from scripture and his own experience, Gilbert points the way to help believers recognize their spiritual callings and work with their pastors to help them do the work of the Kingdom.

Author Ira Gilbert, retired in 1997, leads Ira and Cam Gilbert Ministries with his wife, Camilla, offering relationship seminars for couples and ministering to those suffering with addictive behavior of all kinds. They have two daughters. Born and raised in Flint, Gilbert went on to attend Saginaw Valley State College in University Center, Mich., and Mott Community College in Flint. He worked for AC Spark Plug, a General Motors factory, in Flint and overcame drug and alcohol addiction. Gilbert is available for speaking engagements, seminars and conferences. E-mail him at Mirangel2(at)comcast(dot)net. His others books are "Addicted to Everything but Jesus," "I Divorced God; She Divorced Me" and "Diary of a Changed Life."